After being online for a couple of years, every day, fifteen hours a day, and after searching, researching, finding, and collecting writers’ resources that cover all the bases for a freelance writer, you might have little time left to actually WRITE.  As a writer my whole life and a college instructor for about a fourth of that life, I always wanted, always felt compelled to write for a living.  But I taught at night, helped students in a learning center during the day, and usually had students over every weekend.  So I was way to devoted to the human-end, way too invested in helping them write—and therefore had no time for my own efforts.

With 911 and my own self-reassessment, as well as an offer to “retire” so others at the college district could keep their jobs, I made a major move and I was planning to shift writing and go for a classical guitar music lesson instead.  I quit classified work AND teaching, taking a risk that the unemployment would not run out before my writing business kicked in.  In that first year of freedom from the outside world, I researched manically:  I collected and studied and re-read every one of the writers’ resources I found most valuable then.  Now, I refer these writers’ resources to you, that you might benefit from my hundreds of hours online without having to go the same route yourself:

WRITERS’ NEWSLETTERS/WRITING SITES

http://www.writersweekly.com/

http://www.writergazette.com/submit.shtml

WRITERS’ RESOURCES for KIDS/TEENS/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Intro to Creative Writing and 50 Exercises for Story Writers- http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/assign/e50xs1.htm

Writing- http://www.42explore.com/writing.htm

West Hills Writing Terms and Definitions- http://whhs.guhsd.net/english/htmldocs/writingterms.html

http://teenwriting.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htm

11 Rules of Writing- http://www.junketstudies.com/rulesofw/

http://www.dillfrog.com/games/rejoinder/

Pre-writing: Keeping a Journal- http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/prejourn.html

Writing about Literature- http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/staff/dehogue/AP/writing/writing.htm

Write Source Writing Topics-
http://www.thewritesource.com/topics.htm#GRADES%209-12

WRITERS’ RESOURCES for CHRISTIAN WRITERS

http://www.christianwritersinfo.net/

WRITERS’ RESOURCES for WOMEN

Writing Exercises - http://www.ivillage.com/community/0,,8h6xjsqb,00.html

WRITERS RESOURCES for WRITING with DISABILITIES

PSPZ Links for Artists with Disabilities (http://www.pspiz.net/pspplus /index.php?action=displaycat&catid=91) - Just what its header says it is: links.  Many links.

National Arts & Disability Center (NADC) (http://nadc.ucla.edu/CaliforniaOrganizations.htm) – A directory of programs, organizations, and centers for the disabled artist…organized by discipline.

WRITERS’ RESOURCES for FREELANCE WRITERS

Online Technical Writing- http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/

Robert Niles’ Journalism Help- http://nilesonline.com/stats/

Freelance Factor Freelance Writing Tips for Freelance Writers- http://www.freelancefactor.com/

A Short Story Template- http://zenvirus.com/write/a-short-story-template.html

Inspiration for Writers- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/

LEGAL HELP/PROTECTION

National Writers’ Union (NWU)- http://www.nwu.org/

Another Realm (formerly Predators and Editors)- www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

PUBLISHING

A Glossary of Publishing Terms-http://romancedivas.com/writers%20resources/GlossaryofPublishingTerms.pdf

Article Writing Publicity- http://www.publicityadvisor.com/articlefaqs.html

JOB BOARDS/MARKETS/NETWORK SOLUTIONS

http://writecontent.com/Freelancers_Editorial/Freelance_Directories___Servic/Freelance_Editorial_Agreement/Submitting_Freelance_Listings/submitting_freelance_listings.html

Elance- http://www.elance.com/c/rfp/main/rfpmkt.pl?rid=QOAL&catId=10205

Creative Writing Jobs- http://www.creative-writing-secrets.com/creative-writing-jobs.htm

NewsJobs.net- http://www.newsjobs.net/world/default.asp

Contracted Work- http://www.contractedwork.com/rt.cfm?CatID=17

Writers Only Free Classifieds- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/

CALLS for SUBMISSION

http://www.connectforkids.org/node/2642

GENERAL WRITERS’ RESOURCES/PORTALS

Indispensable Writing Resources- http://www.quintcareers.com/writing/

How to Write a Short Story- http://shortstoryclassics.50megs.com/

Writers on the Net- http://www.writers.com/sagan_classes.html#notebook

Writing.Com- http://www.writing.com/main/writing/online/freelance_writing#writers

Writers’ Break- http://www.publicityadvisor.com/articlefaqs.html

Author Mania Writing Tips- http://www.authormania.com/

Tips for Writers from Erica Jong- http://www.ericajong.com/index.htm

Writers’ Collective- http://writerscollective.org/

The Quality Writing Center- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/

Whether you are working a “real” (ahem) job and aching to go solo or writing full time and wishing for some compiled writers’ resources so you can keep writing more than researching professional development details, I hope this compilation helps.  Best of the best to you.